Help Problem with custom contact ringtones

[Ruth5662]

Hi,

I am having the problem where I have set custom ringtones for some of my contacts, but they are not always being played as they are assigned.

I have all of my ringtones in an folder on my sd card (/sdcard/media/audio/ringtones). I have a custom ringtone set as default and other custom ringtones set for a few of my contacts. However, when I receive a call the phone will only occasionally play the correct ringtone. Most times it plays either the default ringtone, or the ringtone assigned to the last person that called (this last option being more common).

I have googled this problem extensively, and seen similar posts on this and other websites, but nowhere have a I found a solution to the problem.

Is there such a solution, and if not, how do we get the developers to fix a bug, if that's what it is?

I would be grateful for any help, this issue is driving me crazy!

 

[Ruth5662]

Wow! Nearly 100 views and not a single reply, let alone solution! Guess I'm on my own with this - although while Googling it I realised many people have this problem, no solution though.

Anyone have any idea how I can bring this to the attention of Android developers to see if they have a solution?

Thanks.

 

[xixek]

Hi. I have exactly the same problem. Galaxy Ace 2.3.5 official and changing ringtones the way that you described. It is more than irritating...

 

[Ruth5662]

I have googled this problem extensively, and it would appear that many people have the same issue.

I have posted the same question in several Android support forums, but it appears no-one has a solution. I have also posed this question in the Google Support forum, who again had no solution but who suggested I report the bug to Samsung, as the issue lies with them. I tend to disagree with this as I understand this is happening with Android phones other than Samsung, but I have posed the question to Samsung anyway, and am awaiting a reply and hopefully solution.

I would suggest anyone else with this problem reports it to their phone manufacturer too, as it may help speed up a solution if it becomes apparent that many people are experiencing the same problem.

I will post any reply/solution I get from Samsung here, so as to assist others with this.

 

[Ruth5662]

Just got this reply from Samsung:

Thank you for contacting Samsung. As of yet, Google has not developed a fix for this fault so we may have to have the phone taken in by one of our engineers without any real guarantee it will be resolved. We could set this up for you but you may have to wait 28 days for the phone to be returned to you.

Great!

I am sorry, but I think it is unreasonable to be expected to give my phone up for a month, with no guarantee the issue will be sorted, just to be able to use a facility Samsung state is already available on the phone when it is clearly not.

How do I get in contact with Google about this?

 

[Ruth5662]

This problem - or lack of a solution - is really annoying me now as no-one seems to have a fix for it. I have over the last month posted on 6 forums: Android Central, Android Forums, Android Community, Google Android Support, OHA Project Issues and XDA developers. In total the post has had over 2500 views but NO solution!

I have also submitted the issue to Samsung - they don't know how to fix it either!

Have I got the only unfixable problem ever to affect an android phone??!!

I just don't understand why the developers of both the phone and the operating system can't solve a problem in their own product!

PLEASE, can anyone help?

 

[JETSGS2]

I've got it!!

 

[JETSGS2]

Okay, so here it is...
Same exact thing has happened to my wife's phone, but not mine. We even went to the store and tried a brand new phone and same thing! But...We just figured it out! Okay, so here we go...

Edit: If you are not a user of Google contacts, then do not do the merge described below because this will overwrite your phone contacts with your google contacts. Only do this step if all your Google contacts are up to date and include all contacts in your phone.

From within your computer, go to your Google contacts, the is a "My Contacts" label. At the bottom, there is an "Other" label. Somewhere in there are duplicates, so the phone doesn't know which to assign the cutom ringtone to. Go through and clean up all Google contacts, plus add the "My Contacts" to any contact that doesn't have it. Then delete any from the "other" list and any doubles in the contacts. Then, on your phone, open contacts and go to menu-more-settings-save new contacts to, and select Google. (Trust me on this one...PLASE DO THIS.) Then go to contacts, menu, and select Merge with Google. (You may lose contacts that you've put in your phone from your phone, but this is the only time this will happen.) From this point on, anything done in the Google contacts will instantly update in your phone and vise-versa, but more importantly, your ringtones should work when assigned to individual contacts.

If that doesn't work, let me know, there is one other thing to try. Good Luck!

Joe
Samsung Galaxy S2

 

[Ruth5662]

Hello JETSGS2,

Thank you so much for taking the time to contact me. However, I do not have any contacts in Google, except if I go into the 'other contacts' tab, there is just my own number. I don't recall ever having merged any contacts with Google (I don't actually use the Google account, I only set it up as it was required for the apps).

So it seems that this isn't what is causing this problem for me, I presume?

You mentioned that there is something else to try? I would be really grateful if you could let me know. This issue is so frustrating, and more so because no-one - not at either Google or Samsung - has a solution!

Thank you

The only places I have backed up my contacts is on my PC using Kies, and within Netqin Mobile Security, an app I have installed on my phone. I'm not sure if this makes a difference?

 

[bmatteo]

I have the exact same problem. I have a Galaxy Ace and from time to time instead of the assigned ringtone it plays the standard ringtone. This happens at least 2-3 times a day. The sms tome works fine but the ringtone messes up. My wife has a Galaxy Gio and she has the same problem. Both phones run android 2.3.3. We updated from 2.2 and we didn't have this problem.

It's ridiculous.

I have googled this a lot and didn't get an answer.

Do you have a solution yet?

 

[JETSGS2]

I have the exact same problem. I have a Galaxy Ace and from time to time instead of the assigned ringtone it plays the standard ringtone. This happens at least 2-3 times a day. The sms tome works fine but the ringtone messes up. My wife has a Galaxy Gio and she has the same problem. Both phones run android 2.3.3. We updated from 2.2 and we didn't have this problem.

It's ridiculous.

I have googled this a lot and didn't get an answer.

Do you have a solution yet?

No solution yet but we're still doing some trouble shooting. Unfortunately, the intermittant issue is different than my original issue, where my ring tones were not working at all. If we come up with anything we'll be back to post it. Wish us luck!

 

[bmatteo]

No solution yet but we're still doing some trouble shooting. Unfortunately, the intermittant issue is different than my original issue, where my ring tones were not working at all. If we come up with anything we'll be back to post it. Wish us luck!

SOLUTION!
I think I have found it. I've looked in the folder of the original android ringtones. The ringtones there are about 8-10 seconds, they are ogg files and they are around 60-80 kbytes in size.

I have converted my custom ringtones to 64 kbits/sec and .ogg format. The biggest is 1,7 mbytes in size, so not very small but it is a 4 minute long song. I believe the key is the bitrate and not the size. My guess is that some apps run in the background and when they start they use the processor which makes it hard to use the high-bitrate ringtones.

I've done this a day ago and there have been no problems yet. All ringtones work perfectly. I think this bitrate is pretty good for a ringtone since I don't use hi-fi speakers on my phone.

Hope this will work in the future. Try it!

 

[socrates0]

In my case all file whether I transfer thru MyPhoneExplorer via bluetooth thru USB cable via Kies it still goes into folder 'Bluetooth' on the SD card. I cant seem to find a way to transfer to a custom folder
@Ruth5662 Thanks I made the folders like you mentioned & it seems to be working... so far

 

[Ruth5662]

SOLUTION!
I think I have found it. I've looked in the folder of the original android ringtones. The ringtones there are about 8-10 seconds, they are ogg files and they are around 60-80 kbytes in size.

I have converted my custom ringtones to 64 kbits/sec and .ogg format. The biggest is 1,7 mbytes in size, so not very small but it is a 4 minute long song. I believe the key is the bitrate and not the size. My guess is that some apps run in the background and when they start they use the processor which makes it hard to use the high-bitrate ringtones.

I've done this a day ago and there have been no problems yet. All ringtones work perfectly. I think this bitrate is pretty good for a ringtone since I don't use hi-fi speakers on my phone.

Hope this will work in the future. Try it!

I tried this also. Seemed fine for a couple of days, now back to incorrect ringtones again! Will there ever be a solution to this?

At this rate I will be due an upgrade before Google or Samsung get around to fixing this - and believe me, when I do, it won't be a Samsung or an Android!!!

SO frustrated!!!

 

[insekticide]

For those who are sad because all the views and no replies...I am having fun reading this...but no solution

 

[socrates0]

I tried this also. Seemed fine for a couple of days, now back to incorrect ringtones again! Will there ever be a solution to this?

At this rate I will be due an upgrade before Google or Samsung get around to fixing this - and believe me, when I do, it won't be a Samsung or an Android!!!

SO frustrated!!!

I faced this problem just now I too have put my ringtones /sdcard/media/audio/ringtones if I put in a plain folder called 'Ringtones' its not visible in the menus

 

[socrates0]

I just noticed that the people whose assigned ringtone changed to the default after the first call were also mentioned in the SIM memory (even though SIM contacts are not made visible in phone). I have now deleted the common ones from the SIM. Logically this should make no difference as those were not enabled. When those people whose ringtone changed, have made missed calls to me (as a test) everything worked fine but time will tell.

 

[Ruth5662]

I don't have any contacts stored on my SIM, I wiped the SIM as soon as I exported the contacts to the phone just when I got it. So it is not that that causes the problem for me.

 

[socrates0]

I don't have any contacts stored on my SIM, I wiped the SIM as soon as I exported the contacts to the phone just when I got it. So it is not that that causes the problem for me.

It did not work for me too. But today I noticed that the contact's where this problem occurred also belong to a group where the same ringtone is assigned & after the problem occurs the ringtone setting for that individual's contact ringtone setting get changed to default whereas the setting for the group remains as assigned Sent a query to Samsung India but no reply yet. Also in my case its not an intermittent occurrence, it happens from the second call for any contact with an assigned ringtone (stored on sd card which came with the phone).

BTW The ringtones I have been using are with the MIDI format (a carryover from my Nokia days), which are barely 22kb, if this format is a problem then can anyone suggest another format?

 

[socrates0]

Over 1200 views but no solutions. I have begun regretting getting rid of my SE K750i after 6+ years

 

[socrates0]

In post #20 I had said that the problem occurs for contacts which have a ringtone assigned individually as well as same ringtone assigned to the group they belong to. I removed the individually assigned ringtone & changed it to default (which is different ) and kept the user defined ringtone for the group & it seems to work well as of now. Only time will tell as settings went haywire from the second call onwards (so far) Keeping my fingers crossed.

 

[Ruth5662]

In post #20 I had said that the problem occurs for contacts which have a ringtone assigned individually as well as same ringtone assigned to the group they belong to. I removed the individually assigned ringtone & changed it to default (which is different ) and kept the user defined ringtone for the group & it seems to work well as of now. Only time will tell as settings went haywire from the second call onwards (so far) Keeping my fingers crossed.

Is this still working for you? I don't have any contact groups, so again this isn't the solution for me.

I just don't get why no-one can sort this issue (as in Samsung or Google)!

 

[socrates0]

Yes it seems to be holding out. But I am not sure if it will mutates to some other type of problem Yes I too am wondering why they don't fix these problems. My trust in Samsung is now shaken.

 

[socrates0]

The problem is back. Just observed a person who I had applied a user defined rington rang only for the first time but today it was back to default ringtone. Now this person is not in any group, all I have done is added him in the speed dial but I don't think that should cause an issue. In this case the ringtone applied was a stock Samsung ringtone which is pre installed. but still this problem exists. In the past it was ringtones I had added to the SD card.

 

[Ruth5662]

In all honesty socrates0, I didn't think you'd have continuing luck with your solution.

It seems to me that each time I try a different workaround to try solve this problem - whether that's a ringtone app or putting contacts in groups or whatever - it seems to work well for a short while, THEN, just when you think you've cracked it, it all goes wrong again!

I have tried countless suggestions now, but still the problem remains.

Why can't this be fixed???!!!

SO FRUSTRATED!